Direction-indicator



V I. AND I. J. CILLEY.

DIRECTION INDICATOR.

V. I. .AND L J CILLEY.

DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED ocms, 1919.

Patented Nov 2, 1920.

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VRL I. OILLEY AND ITI-IIEL J. CILLEY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Vnn I. CILLEY and ITHIEL J. OILLEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Direction-Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in the construction and assembling of direction indicators for use upon automobiles and kindred vehicles, and its objects are: first, to provide means whereby the assembling of the several parts of the indicator may be reduced to the minimum of cost, labor, time and trouble; second, to provide a line of as sembling that willrender the indicator and its case practically water and dust proof, and, third, to provide an indicator case that may be readily taken to pieces, and with which the several internal elements, as the light, the spring and the actuating cable, &c., may be readily reached and corrected if they, or any of them become disarranged.

We attain these objects by the c0nstruction of parts shown in the accompanying drawing in which Figure l is a front elevation of our signal. fully assembled. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same cut in two to show normal diametrical dimensions. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the case with the cylinder removed. Fig. l is an end elevation of an assembled indie cator. Fig. 5 is a perspective of the actuating spring. Fig. 6 is an elevation of one end of the cylinder. Fig. 7 is a perspective of one of the panels for the cylinder. Fig. 8 is a transverse section of the case end with the spring spool in place, and, Fig. 9 is an edge View of the end plate of the case detached.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the construction of these indicators, the endplates 9 of the case 1 are made as nearly perfectly plain as possible, having the edges without offset of any kind except for the offset 20 at the front edge placed there to engage with the ends of the binding cap or frame 2 to avert the danger of dust or water passing between them. The centers of these end plates are open and each has a curved annular bearing formed there in, as at 10, the end plates being made of substantially the form shown in Fig. 3. lhe outer, or inclosing case 1 is formed with a bead 6' at each end that provides a groove in the inner surface at each end of the case for the reception of the edges of the end plates 9, and made to fit so closely upon said ends as to render it impossible for dust or water to pass between them. The front edges of this case are bent inwardly, as at c, and lapped downwardly and upwardly, respectively, over the edges of the end plates to form a backing for the transparent panel 8 in the front of the case. To bind the inclosing case in place upon the end plates of the case we form a binding frame 2, preferably of spring sheet metal, with the upper and lower edges inclined inwardly, as at 2', corresponding with the inclined edges at the upper and lower ends of the front of the end plates so that when the binding frame is forced over the edges of the inclosing case l'this inclosing case will be bound firmly and securely upon the end plates, and the joints between the case and the end plates rendered as nearly close and dust tight as is possible without some intermediate packing substance. The ends 2 of the binding caseare made to lap over, and to bind closely upon the oifsets 20 on the end plates 9 thus rendering the entire bearing surfaces of these parts very close and impenetrable either with water or dust. The backwardly and inwardly inclined positions of the edges 2 form a gutter at the top of the case through which water may flow off of the ends of the case, when it comes in contact with the top of the case, as in a heavy rain storm, and prevents the passage of water into the case and over the inner surface of the transparent panel 8 and form a bearing, for the transparent panel. The inwardly inclined position of the edges 2' of the binding frame 2, upon the projecting parts 1 of the case has the ed'ect to bind the frame 2 firmly upon the front of the case and to hold the case firmly connected with the ends 9, and thus avert the danger of open spaces between the two, and unpleasant rattling of the panel between its bearings; It is the design that this case may be assembled complete and rendered both water and dust tight without secured to the cap by means of screws the use of screws, or other securing devices except the construction shown and described, yet, if desired, the binding frame may be secured with screws, as indicated in Fig 4 at f.

In the construction of the cylinder we use ends 11 having cylindrical hubs l2 integral therewith, of a proper size and form to pass closely, but freely through the openings 10 in the ends of the case and form perfect revoluble bearings therein with little friction as is possible without the use ball bearings. The ends 11 have integral spurs thereon, as at 0, so constructed that they will exactly fit into and through the openings d in the sides or panels 1.7, and so formed that one stroke of a hammer or a riveting machine will throw the corners outwardly and securely rivet the panels in place. These panels are made of sheet metal and each has a signal symbol, as the word Go and Stop and the right and left indicating arrows cut out of it, and a translucent panel, as 8, is placed back of each of them. To hold these panels in place the edges of the metal panels are folded, as at g, so the edges of the panels 8 may be passed, or be placed between the folds and the inner surface of the symbol panels. To complete the bearings through the ends of the case, and to form the desired spools at the ends of the cylinder we form a sheet metal annular body 14 that will fit snugly into the body 12, each of said bodies having an annular flange 13 so arranged that when the body is forced into the body 12 a proper spool is formed for the reception of the spring 16, or'the cable 15. The spring 16 is mounted upon one of the spools just described, with one end, as a, passed through an opening on the wall of the case, and the other end, as Z), passed through an opening in the bodies 12-44:, substantially as shown in Fig. 2. The cable 15 is mounted upon the spool on the other end of the cylinder, in like manner, and passes out through the opening 19 in the end cap 3, and is attached to an actuating control upon the automobile body, not shown or claimed in this application.

To complete the case and provide the proper protection for the spools at each endof the cylinder, we provide a cap, 3 and 3, for each end of the case. These caps have flanges 3 thereon by means of which they may be secured to the ends of the case with screws 7, or other available means. The cap 3 is made to wholly inclose the spring carrying spool at the left hand end of the cylinder, but the cap 3 has an opening central of its projecting part for the passage of the electric bulb stem d, which is 7, so that by the removal of these screws the stem 4 and the bulb 18 may be readily removed and replaced, as desired. This cap also has an opening 19 for the passage and free action of the cable 15 for revolving the cylinder to exhibit the several. symbols.

From the above description it will be readily understood. that all that is necessary to disassemble the case and reach any panel in the cylinder is to remove the binding frame 2, which absolutely frees the outer case 1. To get at the bulb, all that is necessary is to remove the two screws 7. To get at, and repair ,the cable 15 or the spring 16 the removal of three screws, 7, removes the cap 3 or 3, as desired, and fully exposes the spools, and if it is desired to remove the ends 9 from over the cylinder bearings it is simply necessary to draw the bodies 14: out of the bearings 18 and the disassembling of the indicator is complete, and the work and time required either to as semble, or to disassemble the indicator is reduced to the minimum and either is easily and quickly accomplished. To remove the spring 16 all that is necessary is to remove the hooks a and b from the openings a and b, respectively.

5 represents a flange securely mounted upon the electric bulb stem 4 for securing it to the cap 8, and 18 is the electric bulb. 72. and i are stops struck up on the case and the cylinder ends to prevent the cylinder from being revolvedbeyond its normal positions. This is accomplished by the stops 2' on the end of the cylinder, see Fig. 6, contacting the stop It on the end, 9, of thecase.

l/Vhat we claim as new in the art, is:

1. 111 a case for direction indicators, a thin sheet metal inclosing jacket pressed to form a bead upcn the outer surface at each end, and. a corresponding groove in the inner surface, the frontv edge of the case extended outwardly and diverged from parallel with the lateral center line of the case and the extreme edges bent inwardly at right angles with the projecting parts, sheet metal ends having a round central opening in each and fitted so the edges will engage the grooves on the ends of the case, and a binding frame fitted to press heavily upon the projecting edges of the case and the corresponding parts of the ends assembled.

2. In combination with the construction covered in claim 1, curved annular bearings formed around the central openings, a symbol cylinder mounted within the case, annular hubs projecting from the ends of the cylinder through the openingsin the ends of the case, and fitted to revolve freely in the curved annular bearings on the end plates of the case.

3. In combination with the construction covered in claim 1. curved annular bearings to hold the case securely.

formed in the end plates of the case around the central openings therein, a cylinder revolubly mounted in said bearings, actuating mechanism connected With the cylinder and With the case for revolving the cylinder, and offsets formed in the ends of the cylinder and the ends of the case for governing the revoluble movements of the cylinder.

4. In combination with the construction covered in claim 1, a symbol cylinder revolubly mounted With annular hubs extending through the openings in the ends of the' case, a flange mounted at the outer end of each hub forming spools, actuating means connected With said spools, protecting caps covering the ends of the spools, and means for readily inserting and removing an electric bulb.

Signed at Grand Rapids Michigan, October, 1919.

VRL I. CILLEY. ITHIEL J. CILLEY. 

